James spruce



(Model.

J. SPRUCE.

Spring Hinge.

No. 233,569. Patented Oct. 19,1880. I

fly;

N-PETERS, FHOTO-LITHDGRAPNER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

JAMES SPRUCE, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCOVILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 233,569, dated October 19, 1880.

Application filed July 21, 1880.

To all whom "it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES SPRUCE, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Spring-Hinges, (CaseD;) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawin gs and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent 1n Figure 1, front view; Fig. 2, back side view of the ear end of one of the leaves; Fig. 3,

front view of the same, with the ear bent into shape.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of spring-hinges in which the coil is arranged around the pintle, so that one end will bear upon the inner face of one leaf, and the other end upon the face of the other leaf.

Various devices have been resorted to for the purpose of holding the spring in its proper position, as well as to prevent wear from contact with the pintle; but all add considerably to the expense of manufacture, and usually by introduction of a sleeve within the spring, either an independent piece or an extension of the ear.

The object of this invention is to simplify the construction; and it consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

The outline of the two leaves A B may be of the usual or any desirable form. At one end of each leaf is an ear, offset at one end, so that by inverting the two leaves the ear of one leaf at one end will come outside of the 40 ear of the other leaf on the same end, and

vice versa at the other end.

C represents the inner ear. This inner ear, C, is made with a diagonal groove, a, on its back side, running from the lower extreme 5 angle upward toward the leaf of the hinge, where a perforation, b, is made. This groove and perforation correspond to the size of the (Model) wire. When the ear is bent the groove takes a spiral form, as seen in Fig. 3, the perforation 7) opening onto the leafof the hinge. The spiral spring is placed upon the pintle. One end of the spring lies in the groove it, its end (1 extending through the perforation b onto the face of the leaf, as seen in Fig. 1, the same at both ends, as seen in Fig. 1. This spirally- 5 shaped groove on the ear parts secures the spring to the leaves independent of the pint-le, and so that no contact occurs between them. It maybe made by striking the groove and perforation in sheet metal while the blank is fiat, as seen in Fig. 2; but in cast metal the groove and perforation will be formed in the mold, or it may be otherwise made. In casting, however, it would be better or easier to make the perforation a notch, as'indicated in broken lines, Fig. 3.

This construction may be made with the ears of the same length, or without any elongation in consequence of the method of attachment.

The groove a may be omitted, the perforation or notch 11 remaining, in which case the last coil would hear on the extreme outer ,surface of the ear C. This may be done on hinges made from thin metal with light springs, but for the heavier class of springs the groove is preferable.

It will be understood that if the action of the spring is to be reversed the arrangement of the end will be made to pass upon the opposite or other face of the leaf.

I claim In a spring-hinge, substantially such as described, the inner ear of each leaf constructed with a spiral groove to receive the end coil of the spring, and a perforation or notch in the car through which the end of the spring extends onto the leaf of the hinge, substantially as described.

JAMES SPRUCE.

Witnesses:

G. O. THOMAS, M. II. SPERRY. 

